An Ice Storm Bears Down on Pacific Northwest as Other US Regions Battle Bitter Cold

PORTLAND, Ore.—Residents of the Pacific Northwest suffered more misery as an ice storm bore down Wednesday, threatening to turn mountain highways treacherous and zap power in bitterly cold temperatures. Much of the region was under an ice storm warning through the morning, promising only to add to the damage brought by a powerful winter storm that hit over the weekend. Parts of southwest Washington and western Oregon—including the latter state’s largest cities of Portland, Salem, and Eugene—expected a quarter-inch to an inch (6–25 millimeters) of ice, while freezing rain was forecast in the Seattle area. Schools were closed, bus service was curtailed, and warming shelters opened while officials warned of bad roads and the chance of new power outages, even as crews struggled to restore electricity to thousands of customers blacked out for days....